The naturopathic world terrifying? / Fewer restrictions on women's choices

--------------------------------------------------------------- Here are the stories you missed on KevinMD. Thank you for your continuing readership. --------------------------------------------------------------- Sponsors [3 ways to maximize your hospital contact center]. The contact center is your mission-critical hub for hospital communications. Learn three tips to help maximize this vital department and the support it delivers throughout your healthcare facility. [Read the eBrief]. [Is your hospital communication system trapped in the dark ages?] Just like a medieval page boy, pagers are annoying and inefficient. This leads to delayed patient care, frustrated providers, and potential HIPAA breaches. Learn why you need to ditch your [Page Boy] today. Digital health has [disrupted health care like Uber] disrupted the taxi industry -- and the disruption is just getting started. Learn how these [massive changes will play out for doctors and patients] and what advancements are on the horizon. [Video]: Are communication solutions at your hospital like puzzle pieces that just don’t fit? [There’s a better way]. --------------------------------------------------------------- KevinMD Today: Jul. 25, 2016 [I have seen both worlds, and the naturopathic one is terrifying] I find it amusing to be accused of being an unsuccessful practitioner of naturopathic medicine. I graduated with high grades from Bastyr University. I landed a highly competitive naturopathic residency. Had I remained in practice, I would currently be eligible to take the naturopathic pediatrics “board-certification” exam offered by the Pediatric Association of Naturopathic Physicians. I […] [Primary care physicians should advocate for fewer restrictions on women’s choices] Our patient was a 15-year-old girl who came to the emergency room of our hospital saying she wanted to commit suicide after being raped several weeks ago at a classmate’s party. In the emergency room, a urine pregnancy test was positive. On admission to the hospital, she was very clear that her thoughts of killing […] [This is why hospice work is so fulfilling] I make my way down the aisle of the plane, squeezing past my fellow passengers and plop down in my assigned seat. Sitting next to me is a middle-aged woman with a kind smile. As the plane takes off, she begins making small talk: ”What do you do?” I silently debate, do I adopt my […] [Don’t rant about MACRA. Propose solutions instead.] Recently, ACP offered practical solutions to physicians’ concerns about Medicare’s proposal to implement the new payment system created by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). The College’s detailed recommendations, summarized here in a press statement that is linked to the comment letter itself, would replace CMS’s proposed and unnecessarily complex quality scoring system with a […] [After cancer treatment, sexual health challenges are often shielded from partners] The phone rang in my office one morning last week. Woman: “I received a notice of an appointment with you, and it says to bring my partner or spouse with me. This problem has nothing to do with him.” (The opening statement could just as easily be from a man, and often is.) I quickly […] [The demise of FluMist is a victory for science] Recently, the CDC announced that its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to stop recommending the nasal spray flu vaccine, FluMist, for anyone. Bottom line: it doesn’t work. Though their recommendation against the use of FluMist still has to be approved by the CDC director to make it “official,” it’s pretty much a done deal. […] [The art of taking an excellent medical history] The art of eliciting the medical history requires medical knowledge, cultural knowledge, and many “people skills.” History taking is not science, but rather, art, because it requires interpretation and clarification. Patients with the same symptoms express them differently. A major feature of the art of medicine involves learning how to interpret different descriptions of the […] [I will go on treating patients, because that is what I know] You’ve all heard it. Those ads about that wonderful product that will change your life. The new kind of mattress that will finally give you a good night’s sleep every night. The new electric car. The superfood. They go on about them for thirty seconds or a minute, you are enthralled, and you dream of […] [The day a young patient took charge and grew up] Dustin Ouellete grew up a bit the other day. I had known Dustin as an infant, and his mother before that. Several years ago, the Ouellete family moved away to the big city, but last summer they came back. Dustin came in a few times with his father, and his main concern was migraines. Dustin’s […] [How maternity leave cost this physician] When I had my first baby, I was a busy resident trying to complete my residency on time. I didn’t want to extend my residency even if it meant sacrificing time with my newborn. In order to get my 8-week leave, I banked days whenever I could. There was one period I worked 45 days straight (well, […] [Today happens once. And we are guaranteed nothing.] As I sat next to her bed in the intensive care unit, I wondered if she knew that today was her last day when she woke up this morning. I didn’t think she knew that it was her last day now. I was sure that she knew that something was wrong but did she know that […] [MKSAP: 66-year-old man with polyuria and polydipsia] Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians. A 66-year-old man is evaluated in the office after being treated in the emergency department for an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. While in the emergency department, he was noted to have a random blood glucose level of 211 mg/dL […] [What we can learn from old school physicians] The term “old school” in many facets of life has negative connotations. We live in a modern, technologically advanced and fast-paced world — and there’s no room for certain people who appear to hold us back. Last year I wrote an article about an experience I had with an “old school” physician. That experience really […] [Medical school: A crash course to critically appraise information] The question, asked to me by a new first-year medical student, seemed simple enough: “There are a lot of different types of reflex hammers out there — which one should I buy?” As with so many things in medicine, however, I knew that my answer wouldn’t be so straightforward. As I prepared to answer, I […] [A reminder that there are no guarantees with cancer] Most times, I feel excited to be an oncologist. Oncology research is accelerating and every week brings more news, whether it be a deeper understanding of tumor genomics, a broader understanding of cancer genetics and risk, and, it seems, more ways to provide precision therapy. Studies are coming out showing gains in survival in many […] [How OxyContin taught doctors to trust pills over patients] Treating pain is a notoriously tricky business. But it’s even harder if the medications on which we rely are inappropriately marketed. Last month, a Los Angeles Times investigation of Purdue Pharma asserted that for years, the company falsely elevated the efficacy of its twice-daily OxyContin, a powerful opioid pain reliever. The Times’ review of evidence — […] --------------------------------------------------------------- [Follow on Facebook] | [Twitter] --------------------------------------------------------------- You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the KevinMD e-newsletter. If a friend sent you this email and you want to subscribe, go to [KevinMD]. --------------------------------------------------------------- 173 Daniel Webster Highway Nashua, New Hampshire 03062 [Unsubscribe] | [Change Subscriber Options]